Trapped in a Prison
by i.cant.love
Summary: He was an angel. How could not think that? He was the most beautiful being I'd ever seen. He was so kind, so gentle, so innocent...But it was that thought that led to my undoing...I had no idea he was hiding something...[BKK]
1. Undoing

**Trapped in the Prison**

**By: Yummei-sama no Hanashi**

Author's note: Another day, another fic. This one I just read, and I was so fascinated with it that I decided to use it as inspiration for this fic. Only, to tell you the truth, I used the plot a bit, and twisted the rest bang out of order.

Nywayz, it's going to be a one-shot. A bit of a long one, I might add. But I'm going to divide it into two or three chapters, so maybe it's not such a one-shot after all. –smiles- I rated it R because there's going to be some un-PG-13-ish stuff near the ending.

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or this story I read. That is all.

Part I: Undoing

He was an angel.

That was my first impression when I met him. The moment he stepped into the light of our foyer, I knew so suddenly that a celestial being had graced our home. How could I not think such thoughts? After all, who could see beautiful, flowing red hair in the streets every day? Who could stare into those lavender orbs without being knocked off their feet?

And who could stand such an innocent, carefree smile without feeling the urge to sigh?

The angel in our foyer most beautiful being I had ever seen.

And that led to my undoing.

* * *

"Hi! I'm Kenshin Himura!"

Those were the first words he said to us. As soon as the music of his voice caressed our ears, we couldn't help but blink. The boy had spoken such simple words, but we, who were a little shocked by his unique appearance, were, needless to say, blown away.

Misao, my younger sister, giggled at the sight of him. Though she had a man of her own, the tall, mysterious, and handsome Aoshi, I could see the red tinge on her cheeks from where I was standing.

Megumi, my older sister, nudged me. She had that familiar spark in her eyes, which always told me she was planning to flirt. "He's cute," she murmured into my ear.

And I?

I, Kaoru Kamiya, resident kendoist, was speechless. Never in my seventeen years of life had I seen a more beautiful man. Never had I seen a smile so heart-stopping. Never in my life had I felt so light that I could float off into the clouds, yet so heavy, that I had to sink into the earth. I had never felt so _self-conscious_ in my entire life. I was suddenly worrying over the state of my hair, my posture, my clothes! The moment I got a grip on myself, I thought I had, for a moment, turned into Megumi.

Our father cleared his throat, jolting me out of my reverie. "Kenshin is my good friend Hiko's son," he told us. "He will be staying here until some... _issues_ at his home are resolved."

At the mention of "issues," all four of us raised our eyebrows, but we politely waited for the two men to explain. "My mom and my dad have to settle their divorce, that's all," Kenshin explained nonchalantly. "No big deal."

I had to butt in then. I just couldn't take such an attitude towards family. This boy may have made my knees weak, my heart rate increase, and my body melt in pure infatuation at first sight, but his words made me fume.

"_No big deal!_" I blurted out. "This is a divorce were talking about here! Don't you care about custody and all that legal stuff? Your family is in danger! Your future could be at stake! You're caught between a tug of-"

Dad silenced me with a look. I went slightly red once I realized what I had just done. Misao and Megumi giggled.

Kenshin, however, smiled at me in a rather sorry way. "I'm sorry if it bothered you..." he said in an apologetic manner. "I had no idea you had such a strong feeling for family..."

His answer bummed me out, just as his sudden appearance did. I stood there staring at him and trying to fathom what he had just said. Was that an insult or a compliment?

My father cleared his throat again, causing me to be aware of my surroundings once more. I closed my mouth and backed away. "Kenshin's going to be staying here for the next few weeks and possibly over the summer. Be nice to him, _okay?_" he asked sternly.

Megumi laughed in a lilting manner. "Oh, I'll be nice," she said seductively.

"Megumi!" Misao and I exclaimed warningly. She just went "ohohoho!" I could swear fox ears popped out from her head.

Dad rolled his eyes as Kenshin smiled sheepishly. "Don't mind Megumi," Dad said. He put his hands on Megumi's shoulders. "She's nineteen, so I don't think you'll be spending any time together. You're seventeen, aren't you?" Kenshin nodded.

Seventeen. Our gap was a year. I was sixteen then, younger than him. Did that mean he'd be spending more time with me?

Dad walked over to Misao. "Shorty here is Misao," he said, ruffling her hair. "She's fourteen."

"Hey!" Misao yelled indignantly. "So what if I'm a little short?" We all laughed, including Kenshin.

"And this is my little tomboy, Kaoru," Dad said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "She's sixteen, closest to your age, Kenshin. Why don't you two stick together?"

My father seemed to have sealed my fate.

He offered his hand to me. "Let's be friends, ne?" Kenshin asked me, grinning. I looked at him inquisitively. But I couldn't find the right words to say to him. Without anything else in mind, I had no choice but to give back his smile and shake his hand.

"Sure."

Or maybe I was the one who sealed my fate.

* * *

In just a couple of days, Kenshin had become practically part of the household.

He helped with the cooking.

* * *

_"Aunt Tae," Kenshin said to Mom, "Why don't I cook you some breaded shrimp?"_

_As soon as he was done, my mother tasted it. "Ah, how delightful!" Mom exclaimed. "Even a boy cooks better than Kaoru!" She turned to us, we who were in front of the TV. She put her hands on her hips."You could do well to follow his example and help out a little in the kitchen!"_

He helped Dad clean the car.

* * *

_"I'll turn on the hose, Uncle Koshijirou," Kenshin offered._

_"You do that, son," Dad said. He turned to me and said jokingly, "I don't need you as a son anymore, Kaoru-chan. Revert back into a daughter."_

_Ah, if I were allowed to punch Dad into orbit, I would._

He helped with homework as well.

* * *

_"There's an easier way to solve an augmented matrix, you know," Kenshin told Misao as he scribbled the equation on her notebook. "Just do it like so…" He scribbled, his tongue sticking out. "…And voila!"_

_"Wow! You're even faster than Megumi, the math genius!" Misao exclaimed, impressed._

_"Oh Ken-san…" Megumi sang out as she sauntered into the room. "Do you know how to solve this calculus problem?"

* * *

_

The short and short of it was that he had become part of the family.

Too bad it was just a part of him that was showing.

* * *

Soon, he had to go to school with me. He would be in another year level, no problem.

"It's just too bad I don't know anyone at school except you, Kaoru-chan," Kenshin said. I grinned at him.

"With your attitude, Kenshin, I don't see why you won't make any friends!" I assured him. He put an arm around my shoulders good-naturedly. I went slightly pink.

"What's this, Kaoru-chan?" my friend, a slight wavy-haired girl named Ayane sang out. 'You never told me about you boyfriend." My other friend, Soujiro, laughed.

"We just hooked up yesterday," Kenshin told them, his arm still around me.

"Kenshin!" I yelled, forgetting for a moment he was a kendoist as well. As I made to kick him, he sidestepped to avoid my foot. "We are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend!" I made to punch him, but he deflected it with arm.

"Wow!" I've never seen Kaoru's punch deflected before!" Soujiro exclaimed. He also had a penchant for swordplay, and was impressed. He bowed. "I'm Soujiro Seta! What's your name?"

"Kenshin Himura," Kenshin said, bowing to Soujiro. Kenshin turned to Ayane. "And you are?"

"Ayane Kawasashi," she stated simply as they bowed to each other as well.

"Wait," Soujiro said. "You said Himura, right? Are you the heir of that big company, Hiten Mitsurugi Corporation?"

"You know my dad's company?" Kenshin asked.

"Of course we do," Ayane said quietly. "Led by Seijuro Hiko, sells different kinds of heavy equipment. And you're heir to that, aren't you?" Kenshin nodded rather modestly.

"Did someone say Hiten Mitsurugi?" someone from behind asked. It was Sanosuke Sagara, the intern at our school. He taught a self-defense class, and we think he's in love with Megumi, but I'm not too sure.

"Sano!" Ayane exclaimed. "Good to see you!"

"Hiten Mitsurugi's the brand name of almost all our equipment," Sano told Kenshin. "Wow! That means you'll get to inherit a multi-million company!"

Kenshin rubbed the back of his neck. "I…I guess so…"

"Ah! So modest!" Soujiro laughed.

"I did tell you, Kenshin, you would make friends easily," I told him once we started walking to school again.

He had made friends, and I was happy for him.

* * *

Enishi Yukishiro annoyed me. Oh, how he annoyed me. He thought I had a big crush on him. Fortunately not the case. How I hated him then.

He had a reason to think so. After all, he was handsome, athletic, and smart. He was a kendoist as well, which made him think we were two peas in a pod. I however, would say he's alone in his pod. I'm in another.

But he never seems to get the hint.

That day, we were watching the track and field meet in between our school and a rival one. Enishi was our pole-vaulter.

Kenshin and I were sitting in the stands, and that white-haired boy I despised managed to see me. (I hypothesize it's because I was rather near Kenshin's hair, and it's so easy to pick out from a crowd.) He waved and put his thumb up.

"Root for me, okay?" he called. I stuck my tongue out, hoping to incense him. For some reason, he must have thought I looked cute because he just laughed and sprinted away.

"Who was that?" Kenshin asked.

"Enishi Yukishiro," I muttered. "What a loser. He always manages to ruin my day. He thinks I have a big crush on him, which is totally not true. What a jerk!"

I'd manage to regret saying that to Kenshin later.

* * *

Two weeks had passed, and it was nearly summer. By then, our daily routine had been established. Kenshin would wake me up (I was now careful to always wear pajamas as nightgowns hike up to reveal underwear) then we would have breakfast together (I had to be quick in finishing my pickles… he steals them). After that, we would walk to school along with Soujiro, Ayane, and Sano.

After school, it would be just the two of us who'd go home together. This particular day, as we were going home, I asked, "Summer's coming. Are you still staying until then?"

Kenshin smiled. "Of course, are you kidding? I like staying in your house." He took my hand, and I blushed as he played with my fingers while he spoke. "Besides, I like being around you." I blushed more and hung my head to hide it.

But if I hadn't, I would have never missed that strange glint in his eyes.

As the cicadas were starting to sing, I had assessed my feelings for Kenshin. I had never felt something so strong before. The feeling was the feeling of lead characters I only read about in Megumi's romance novels. Whenever I was with him, what I felt was summed up as nervous happiness and desperate care, something even I couldn't explain. But it was never love, or at least that's what I wanted to believe.

I came to adore even more his silky crimson locks, his amethyst pools they call eyes, and the playful smile that was perpetually present on his face.

I came to be frustrated by the way he treated me. At times, he was close and intimate. Sometimes, like I was a fragile piece of glass. Sometimes, too, he treated me as a little sister.

And when I found out how frustrated I was, I couldn't help but be surprised. I, the tomboy of the family, had become self-conscious around a boy. I was feeling something for him, no doubt. Only, I kept hoping that it was anything but love. But I still wanted to be more than a little sister to him.

But to tell you the truth, I should have hoped he treated me more as a younger sister than anything else. After what I had seen a little while after, you wouldn't wonder.

* * *

"Kaoru!" Megumi called. "Kaoru!"

I ran down the hall and skidded to a halt in front of the kitchen, where Megumi was. "If you think you can get me help with dinner, you've got another thing coming," I snapped, quite annoyed because she disturbed my kata exercises.

"Of course I'm not asking for that," Megumi snapped back. "I feel no need to poison anyone tonight." I was about to blow a fuse when she said, "Kenshin called. He wants you to bring a book he borrowed to him." She shook her head. "Silly guy, going to the library without taking the book he wanted to return." Then she looked slyly at me. "Or maybe he just wants to see you…" She laughed that derisive laugh of hers as I blushed madly.

Honestly. When I get the chance to slap her, I swear I would.

I dressed up and went out of the door with his book. I had walked a few blocks when I saw him at the corner of the street. The crowd was quite thick, so that when I looked again, I could only see the tip of his ponytail swinging into the turn of the street.

_That's not the way to the library_, I thought, confused. Mystified, I went to follow him.

As I dodged the people coming toward me or coming from behind me, I got more and more confused. He was taking me to the sleazy district of the city. _What's going on?_ I thought, panic rising in me.

I saw his red hair whip around to follow the rest of him into a building. I couldn't believe my eyes.

He entered a place I knew and hated. A _night club_, and it wasn't even too dark yet.

My mind whirled. It couldn't process what I was seeing quite properly. I knew boys had these kind of tendencies, but this - _this_ was the angel I met, the one who made me feel special, protected, _loved_.

Or was he?

I hesitated. _Would it be all right to go in? Or am I invading his privacy?_

I decided to go in. _This is urgent, this is bringing him into the good side again, or something_, I thought. _Maybe he's just looking for something._ I seized upon that excuse – his excuse. I would just drag him home and scold him there.

That was the plan, anyway.

I entered the club. I was immediately revolted by the sights, the sounds, and the smells. Scantily-clad women (even under-age looking girls) were dancing on stage, on poles, and tables, men and even some women looking on with a somewhat hungry look in their faces. All of them looked entertained. The music pounded into my ears, causing them to hurt. The odor of alcohol and cigarette smoke hung heavy in the air and prevented my lungs from functioning properly and my brain to register what I was seeing. All I know was that I picked Kenshin's hair out of the crowd by instinct.

Then it registered. God knows I would have rather it didn't.

My "angel" was there, sitting at a table, but in a sense, he was not the angel I had originally met. He was drinking, and signs that he had been drinking a bit heavily were littered on his table. A cigarette was in his mouth, and there were also many cigarette butts on the ashtray. There was a woman on his lap, almost naked and giggling as he stroked her _breast_. Another woman was stroking his cheek, murmuring softly into his ear (which I suspected were indecencies), while another licked off the alcoholic substance that was flowing on his chin as he drank. He had a smirk on his face. Then I caught his eyes.

They were amber.

_This isn't my angel! _I thought wildly. The angel I knew was not like this. My mind felt numb and I was breathing in a shallow way. I was now heedless to the pounding music, to the gyrating bodies, to the heavy odor of alcohol and smoke, to the people who bumped me in their overzealous activities. I was trying to take in the sight in front of me.

I tried. God knows I tried.

It was more than I could take, though. Feeling nauseous and ready to cry, I rushed out of the club.

I couldn't take my mind off the expression of his amber eyes.

It was like he wanted me to see it.

And it made me want to hurl.

* * *

TBC…

Author's yammer: Thanks for reading and wait for the next installation!


	2. Breaking

**Trapped in the Prison**

**By: Yummei-sama no Hanashi**

Author's note: This is the second installation of my story. I hope you guys like it, I really worked hard on it. I have to keep it just this short though, any longer and it would be too much, I think. I like writing long chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I wish I did though.

* * *

Part II: Breaking 

I was shattered. I couldn't think. Everything made me nauseous. I walked like a drunk, swaying in my steps.

How could he! _How could he! _That was not him. That was a clone. It had to be. The hair and body were the same, but his eyes and smile and eyes were not. There was something malicious in his eyes, something I couldn't comprehend or even take in.

_My angel… is not an angel… at all…_

Suddenly, revelations came pouring into my mind. I saw things clearer than ever. I suddenly had a reason for everything strange that had happened since Kenshin had arrived. But I had an excuse for everything.

Sometimes, I smelled faint cigarette smoke.

I thought our neighbor was the culprit.

Sometimes, I smelled alcohol.

Dad drank sometimes.

When I logged onto the Net, I would find porn sites in the History.

I thought they could've been mistakes, like clicking the wrong link.

Almost every other night, Kenshin would go out for three or four hours.

I thought he just wanted fresh air.

I threw myself into my bed and started to let my tears flow.

I couldn't help it. It was just too much. Why couldn't have I noticed it before? Why had I been playing blind to these things? Why did I even trust him?

I'd never felt so betrayed.

* * *

Kenshin entered my room without knocking, something he didn't do before, a couple of hours later. "Go away!" I yelled from under my quilt. 

"Why should I?" he asked, his voice even. He removed the blanket from over my head. I made to grab it, but he held it out of reach. He added, still calm, "You've seen the real me now. Or at least, a part of me."

"What does that have to do with anything!" I screeched, causing him to wince at the pitch of my voice. He didn't have the right to be calm, not when I wanted to storm and rage at him, not when I wanted to tear him to pieces and do other possible, horrible torture to him. I wanted him to fight me.

He smiled again at me, that same malicious smile he had been wearing since I saw him at the club. I tried to punch him, but he pinned down both my wrists. I struggled madly. "Let – go!" I cried in a strangled voice. All the while, his expression was calm. Oh, how I wanted to scratch his face and pull on his hair and subject him to all the physical and mental torture known to man. He still held me down, firmly, almost gently.

"No."

"You – you creep! You bastard! Let – go – of – ME!" I cried even louder, struggling at every stress of the sentence. "MOM! MEGUMI! HELP!"

"They're out of the house," Kenshin stated simply. "I won't let you go until you hear me out."

"I – you-" I sputtered angrily. "I don't need or want your excuses!"

"I'm not going to give excuses. You want an explanation, right? An explanation is what you get."

I stopped struggling, although I knew my face was still showing a lot of negative feeling.

"I've been doing this for a long time," he explained quietly, still quite calm, no smile on his face now. "I first smoked at eleven, first drank at twelve, had my first woman at fourteen, so I'm quite a veteran already. But I would've thought that you'd notice something at least." He smirked. "But you chose to be blind. I know you're not stupid, Kaoru, but, God! I think you deny things too much. You trust too much."

I felt so much terror and rage then. I knew that I had in my hands a very different Kenshin. It was like he had forgotten who he really was. But as he said this was the real him, I was terribly confused too. But I had no doubt this was a darker, more vindictive side of him.

"I felt _so_ bored staying at your place. At home, I had servants and people I could abuse, but you people were so trusting and so convinced everyone had integrity I couldn't help but pity you. After all, it _is_ your house," he breathed, tickling my ear. I absolutely refused to blush. But I was already crimson, not from embarrassment but from fury. "You guys were so easy. Especially you, Kaoru. You were the most trusting of all, warming up to me so quickly. At least Misao and Megumi still had some kind of distance from me. But you… I can't believe how incredibly naïve you are… So I decided to show you who I really was."

"I planned, of course. I borrowed a book especially for the occasion, and left it in my room on purpose. I waited in the street. For a while I thought you wouldn't come. I thought you finally saw through me." He smirked. "Even Megumi has some idea. When I called and told her what I wanted you to do, she teased me it was only probably to see you. She's partly right. But you came anyway. I wanted to confuse you, so I weaved in and out of the crowd. I was already in the club a few hours back, so all the evidences were there."

"You – you planned all this?" I whispered weakly.

"Yeah. Smart, right? It was so much fun to lead you on like that, but I had to show you sometime. Too bad I didn't wait a little longer-"

I couldn't take it any more. He had loosened his grip a bit, so I could reach his head. I butted my head against his.

"OW! Hell!" he cursed, his calm demeanor gone. "You damn bitch!" He held me in his viselike grip even more tightly so that I felt that welts were being dug into my wrists.

"Get off me, you bastard!" I shrieked. "Don't you dare get near me again! Don't you dare hurt my family! Don't you dare hurt Misao and Megumi! Stay away from Ayane and Soujiro and Sa-"

And that was when he shut me up.

He kissed me.

It was mind blowing. Tears of anger welled up my eyes as soon as I had realized what was happening. Hate began to explode in my body. I was paralyzed in shock and fright. I fought back the urge to kiss back. It was tempting, but the numbness of my body prevailed.

He released me with a leer of satisfaction on his face. "That was your first, wasn't it?" he asked me, grinning. In temper I kneed him in the groin. My anger abated a little as he turned blue in pain.

When he had recovered, he whispered in his softest, most dangerous voice, "You _do_ know I can make your life a living hell, right?"

"Get out of my room," I said through my gritted teeth.

To my surprise (and suspicion), he obliged. "Let's keep it between us, okay?" he suggested, winking. It seemed that his former self had come back.

"What makes you think I'm not going to make Dad and Mom kick you out of the house?"

"I could always make your family's life a living hell," he said nonchalantly. "I have the means."

Oh, how I wanted to wring his hateful, no-good face.

"So, is it a deal?"

I nodded, much to my despair. He gave me the peace sign and sauntered out of my room casually. Before he could turn the corner, I threw my alarm clock at him, which didn't hit him, but bounced off the doorframe harmlessly and fell to the floor, its insides probably shattered into pieces. I didn't give a damn.

It was anything but peaceful. War was on.

* * *

The more I thought about his atrocities, the more I despaired. I had never felt so betrayed and dirtied. My trust in him was totally gone. In fact, I had become more and more paranoid. I knew what was under his cheerful façade now, which made me question others' cheerfulness. I knew what he could be thinking, and what he might if I told on him. 

I also knew that he had stolen my first kiss.

Others might think stolen first kisses might be romantic in some way, but considering the circumstances, I felt like I had just been raped.

His pattern of living hadn't changed since, but I didn't allow him to associate with me whenever possible anymore. I locked my door every time he was in the house. I would go the other direction if I saw him coming toward me. I hardly talked to him. I couldn't let him or anyone else manipulate me anymore.

But I still pitied him, to my self-frustration.

* * *

"Kenshin! Kaoru!" my mother called. "Why don't you kids go out of the house today? It's not healthy for young people to be cooped up in the house during the summer." 

As soon as summer had come, I began to regret my decision of asking him to stay over for the summer. Kenshin, however, was having the time of his life.

"Of course, Aunt Tae!" he said cheerfully. "In fact, I was planning to go out for a while with Kaoru." I gasped, ready to believe he was up to something. He put an arm around me, all jokey and friendly. "Right, _Kaoru_?"

Mom had her back to us at that moment, so he took the chance to look at me with his dangerous amber eyes, which practically shouted, "If you breathe one word about what happened, I'll make sure your life would become hell."

I gulped and managed out, "Yeah… Kenshin was planning on taking me out today." Struck by sudden inspiration, I said, grinning to my Mom and Kenshin, "We might eat lunch out today, and probably shop for everyone with his _gold card_, right, Kenshin?"

Kenshin grinned back at me, which I knew was an act. "In fact," Kenshin said, pushing me to the stairs, "we were just going to get dressed, now that you mentioned it."

Mom nodded and smiled. "A nice date for the two of you, I see. How wonderful! Have fun, you two!" And with that, she went back to her ironing.

Kenshin pushed me all the way back to his room, which was nearer. As he closed the door by leaning on it, he sighed and said, "Oh, she knows how to play, my little tiger-lily."

I sat down on his bed with a flomp and pouted. (People say I pout prettily.) "I am _not_ your tiger-lily," I said with a whine in my voice. "In fact, I'm not yours at all." I acted casually and almost cutely around him, but my hate and anger had not abated from my heart.

He moved toward me so fast that I only had to blink to find him in front of me. He pushed me down on his bed, almost gently, but in my opinion I didn't think he could be gentle with anyone at all. I glared at him.

"You do know I could knee you in the groin again," I muttered dangerously, narrowing my eyes.

"You do know my yell could tell people downstairs what's happening," he breathed in my ear. I could see the sparkle of his golden gaze from my point of view.

"But if I yell-"

"I'll just have to make you shut up with my own mouth, right?"

I knew my eyes were probably spitting sparks already. "Whatever hell you can give us, we can take."

"You don't have the money, I do," he shot back, smirking. Anger flared in my nerves once more. I took a deep, shuddering breath to calm myself.

"Look, things are going to look suspicious if they see us like this," I said, trying my darndest to speak rationally.

He let go of me. "Fair point," he said cheerfully. It was a wonder he could revert personalities so fast. As I stood pondering, he removed his shirt.

I only realized what he was doing when he was already unbuttoning his pants. He noticed me, apparently, because he laughed and said, "You certainly have no plans of leaving while I undress," he murmured, his slightly eyes roving my body (though I was quite dressed. I honestly don't know what goes on in that mind of his.)

I said, heat creeping up my cheek, "It's not my fault you undress while I'm still here!" I looked away, but he tilted my chin to look in his eyes, now amber and lavender swirling in their depths.

"It's not my fault you keep staring at my ass either," he whispered in my ear, his hand resting on my hip. I blushed harder.

"I was _not_ staring!" I cried indignantly, my hands balling into fists, though I knew full well that my eyes had traced the outline of his butt in the course of his undressing. I couldn't quite look in his eyes, though.

"You were." I was now very interested in staring at the tiny mole on his chest.

"Arrgghhhhh!" I screamed when what he had said registered. Frustrated, I pushed him away from me, feeling the warmth of his chest under my fingers for a fraction of a second. "Forget it, okay?" I stomped away, slamming the door behind me.

I could still hear his voice. "Your eyes were tracing the outline of my ass!"

* * *

"This hair clip would look good on Misao," I said, examining a glittery butterfly hair clip. Like all girls, I liked to shop. I could see Kenshin staggering under the weight of the things I had bought. We had already been in the plaza an hour, and now we were in a jewelry shop. I giggled and asked him, "Don't you think so?" 

"How much does it cost?" he asked in a long-suffering voice.

"Only 30,000 yen," I replied, showing him the price tag.

"ONLY!" he yelled. I could've sworn the packages he was carrying tilting to the edge at the sound of his voice. "Is that REAL rhinestone?"

"You must be real rich to know your jewels," I said, nodding.

"Are you going to make me buy that?" he asked weakly.

"Why not?" I asked, grinning. He groaned. "I mean, we only spent, what, 6000 yen on all these stuff! I'm a bargain hunter, you know."

"For your information," Kenshin told me, "I did all the spending, and currently I have spent 6,600 yen. You're going to add 30,000 to all that!"

I laughed and put back the clip on the counter. "Silly, of course I wouldn't make you buy that. I know how to budget, too." Kenshin sighed in relief.

To ordinary passersby and to the saleslady, we might have looked like a cute, bickering couple, but I knew we were only putting on a façade. I tried to be honest in everything I was doing though. I didn't know if Kenshin was truly enjoying himself.

Then something else caught my eye. "Oh…" I pointed to a butterfly-cut sapphire ring from under the glass case. The saleslady took it out for me. "Wow…" I murmured softly. "It's so… _pretty_…" Kenshin put down our packages.

"Let me see," he said. He nodded as he examined the ring with a trained eye. "This is a really exquisite sapphire. And the cut is so very fine." He held it up so that it was level my eyes. "Yeah, it matches your eyes. They're the same shade." I reddened a little.

Once I had gotten over the compliment (pretended or not), I rummaged through my wallet. "I want to buy it."

"It costs 50,000 yen," the saleslady said. My jaw dropped, my mouth suddenly feeling dry.

"Kind of cheap for such a nice ring," Kenshin said as the lady nodded. I sighed, disappointed.

"I guess I still have to save up for it…" I said, the disappointment in my voice evident.

"I can buy it for you, if you want," Kenshin offered. I smiled and shook my head.

"Nah. Don't bother. Let's just go and eat lunch." Ipciked up some of ourpackages and went out of the door.

Kenshin hung back a bit and I waited at a bench for five minutes. He emerged from the store five minutes later.

"What took you?" I asked.

"I liked that skull earring I saw back there," he replied casually. He was wearing the said item on his ear.

"Ah." I noted subconsciously how good it looked on him. I pointed a finger to a burger restaurant I saw nearby. "Let's replenish our energy. We still have a lot of shopping to do."

As I marched him towards the burger restaurant, he groaned again, possibly at the prospect of shopping even more.

But I missed the slight platonic smile on his face.

* * *

As we ate, I couldn't help but feel happy, even with the man I hated most (unless you count Enishi Yukishiro, who is not a man but a total pest.) I mean, wouldn't you be, if you were in the company of a man who is at least pretending quite nicely to be friendly? He almost appeared to be _enjoying_ himself. 

He talked incessantly. He ate his food with gusto, and even bought us a second meal. He kept smiling at me. It was like the angel of the early days was back.

And I loved every minute of it.

And I loved him that day.

But a day can't last forever.

* * *

"Did you buy the whole plaza?" Mom asked, aghast as she looked at the mountain of packages we had brought home.

"That's okay, Kenshin has a gold card," I replied, grinning.

"Oooh," Misao murmured. She admired her feet again, clad in pink platform sandals. "You really have good taste in footwear, sis!"

"Nah," I said. "Kenshin has the good taste. He says the minute he sawthat pair of sandals the first one on his mind was you."

Misao hugged Kenshin. "This is really good." She sighed. "I would love to have you as a big brother." She looked slyly at me, and heat crept up cheek. "But maybe that isn't such an impossible dream."

Everyone laughed, including Kenshin. "You're both so cute together!" Mom said, giggling.

"Yes," Megumi chortled. "I mean, Kenshin is such a great guy, after all. He's nice and kind and cute and-"

I stood up abruptly. All my good feelings were gone. Tears were welling up my eyes, as they were wont to do these days. My temper was, yet again, reaching uncontrollability. My clenched fists were shaking in anger. (Now that I looked back on it, I never knew my emotions could revert so quickly and easily.) "Megumi," I said, my voice faltering, "you have no idea what you're talking about."

My family stopped laughing. "Huh?" Megumi asked. "What are you talking about? What's wrong, Kaoru-chan?"

How little they knew, every one of them. They were all so naïve and trusting that Kenshin could manipulate them without even trying. He could twist around the strings that bound their lives so easily that I couldn't stand the sick sight of it anymore.

"He's not that great a guy. If you only knew… oh if you only knew…but you! You guys trust so much… you're all naïve… he's broken everyone… you let him twist around your strings… and I haven't even begun saying anything… If you just knew… filth… If you only knew…"

I was babbling, I knew. But I was so angry at this display of naiveté that I could only string half-formed sentences together.

Kenshin flashed me a look of warning with his amber eyes. A shadow of a glare was on his face. I realized then that I had said too much. I took a deep breath and mumbled, "I think I'll take a bubble bath."

I left the room, leaving people staring in my wake.

* * *

I undressed in my bedroom, still seething. But I knew deep in my mind that Kenshin was going to let me have it. He was waiting to ambush me in the bathroom, no doubt. 

Sure enough, when I entered the dressing room , which was right outside our bathroom, he was waiting there, leaning against the wall. I blushed, realizing how little clothing I had on.

"What are you doing here, you pervert!" I hissed. He only smiled.

"I prepared our bath, aren't you happy?" he asked good-naturedly.

"What do you mean 'our' bath?" I asked angrily. "Whatever gave you the idea I would enjoy a bath with _you_?"

He just put his hands behind his head. "I didn't say anything like that."

"You said 'our' bath," I sputtered furiously. "You had every intention of getting into the bath with me," I added accusingly.

"Wouldn't you like that," he sneered.

"Yeah, I bet you would," I spat back.

"Anyway," he said, circling me, "you came so close to revealing our little secret. You know what I might have to do."

"What?" I asked. "Bribe my Algebra teacher to flunk all my A's? Oh, I'm so scared," I added sardonically.

"I could," Kenshin replied silkily. I watched his eyes gown up and down as he looked at my towel-clad body. I clutched my body with my arms as I went even redder. "I could also make your parents jobless and you three sisters prostitutes." He stopped and looked at me in my eyes. Honestly, if my eyescould produce real fire, I could have fried him to crisp at that moment. "Or we could always keep everything secret." I shuddered as he ran a finger across my lips in a teasing manner. His finger went lower to my neck, stopping at my collarbone, then continuing down to my arm. I bit back a moan of… disgust. Not pleasure. Pure disgust. "Mmm… you got goose bumps…"

"Shut up," I muttered heatedly. "I wouldn't tell my parents anything because, fortunately for you, I pity your pathetic hide."

"Are you calling me pathetic?" he asked quietly.

"I think I am," I replied coolly.

"I seem to recall goose bumps crawling your skin when I… ah… touched you," he said just as coolly. "You get so aroused _so _easily. Doesn't that count as pathetic?"

"I wasn't aroused, I was disgusted. I think your head is getting too big for you." I sighed exasperatedly. "Look, get out. I'm going to take a nice, relaxing bath _without you_." I pushed him out of the bathroom before he could do or say anything.

I wish he didn't see through me.

* * *

TBC… 

Author's Yammer: Well, this is longer than the other one, I think. Anyway, I'm almost done. Only one more chapter to go. Yay!

You know, one of the things here has a hidden symbolization. You wanna give a guess? Place it in a review! Then I'll give the answer in the final chapter.

Please review!


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